Layoffs during a pandemic: Results from an experiment on the management practices of nonprofit organizations and business firms

Given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, both business and nonprofit organizations were forced to respond quickly with regard to organizational operations, resources, and workplace safety. The pandemic offers a unique context through which to examine how the public perceives organizational responses to unexpected crisis situations and whether they view them as socially responsible. Using a mixed experimental design, this study investigates the influence of organizational decision-making during COVID-19 on the public's perceptions of the organization. It also examines whether the type of organization-nonprofit or for-profit-influences these perceptions and the willingness of participants to support the organization either by purchasing the product or donating to the organization.